Understanding Digital Identity Formation

Competency

This competency will allow you to demonstrate your ability to conduct research into how a digital footprint is created by looking at your own personal and professional life to determine your digital identity. In addition, you will be able to examine how an organization's digital footprint impacts their overall success.

Instructions

You are working for a local department store in the Operations Department. You notice that their business practices and use of technology are not up to date. One day while working, you are having a discussion about technology and identity formation with your supervisor. Your supervisor continues to explain that individuals and organizations have digital identities that are formed and impacted through various methods. Your supervisor continues, saying, "They can develop or change through social media, positive or negative press, word of mouth, and so on."

You begin to understand that the digital footprint of a business or organization can greatly impact their success or failure due to many factors, including the rapid dissemination of information that can occur digitally.

Your supervisor, through the course of the discussion, acknowledges that you are very fluent in the area of digital identity and asks you to conduct research and create a visual presentation explaining how digital identity is formed for both individuals and organizations. Your supervisor says, "This visual presentation will be presented to not only me, but company stakeholders and your coworkers in order to help them understand how identity is formed, and how to best maximize digital identity to contribute to the overall success of our store."

Your supervisor continues, saying, "From this presentation, decision makers will be able to work on identity management and can then implement digital strategies in order to maintain or improve the store's identity. In the end, this is intended to help increase exposure to the store, enhance the customer base, and the overall success of the store. The visual representation should be interactive and informative and can be presented in any visual format that you choose."

For this research and presentation, you are to reflect upon and address the following topics:

• What are the key methods of identity development? Consider available technology, socioeconomic status, generational issues, access to technological resources, etc.


• Explain how technology and digital forums can aid in identity formation.
  
  
  
  • Consider available technology, socioeconomic status, generational issues, access to technological resources, etc.
  
  
  • Are there differences between identity development in the digital world and in the physical world?
  
  
  • As technology improves and changes, what are some things that individuals and organizations do to impact change and development in the digital age?
  
  
  • How can individuals change the course of action for organizations and their digital footprint?
  
  
  
  


• How is the digital identity of your store in the above scenario formulated, and what impact might that identity have on the overall success of the store?